⬤ WORKPLACE CONFLICT KEYNOTE
When Conflict Lands on Your Desk
Helping Without Becoming the Messenger, Referee or Fixer
Leaders, managers and HR professionals are frequently pulled into conflicts that belong to someone else.
Dr. Irvine Nugent helps them support people constructively without carrying messages, taking sides or assuming responsibility for resolving every difficult relationship.
⬤ THE CHALLENGE
When Helping Becomes Taking Over
Conflict often lands on a leader’s desk as a complaint, a request for advice or an appeal to “do something” about another person.
Wanting to be helpful, leaders may carry messages, investigate every detail, take sides or step in to resolve the situation themselves. What begins as support can quickly turn them into the messenger, referee or fixer.
This may provide short-term relief, but it can also increase dependence, reinforce indirect communication and leave the people involved less responsible for addressing their own conflict.
The challenge is not whether to help. It is knowing how to support others without taking ownership of what belongs to them.
⬤ THE KEYNOTE EXPERIENCE
Help Without Taking Over
This keynote moves beyond simply telling people to “work it out.” It explores why conflict is so easily transferred to leaders—and how well-intentioned support can unintentionally reinforce avoidance and dependence.
Through compelling stories, thoughtful humor and practical insight, Dr. Irvine Nugent helps audiences recognize when they are becoming overinvolved, keep responsibility with the appropriate people and respond without becoming the messenger, referee or fixer.
Leaders also consider an important distinction: when a situation requires their direct intervention and when someone can be supported to take a constructive next step themselves.
The goal is not to step away from conflict. It is to help without taking over.
⬤ AUDIENCE OUTCOMES
What Leaders Take Back to Work
Audiences leave better prepared to:
Recognize when helpful support is becoming overinvolvement
Distinguish between situations requiring direct intervention and those others can address themselves
Avoid becoming the messenger, referee or fixer in someone else’s conflict
Ask questions that help people take greater responsibility for a constructive next step
⬤ BEST-FIT AUDIENCES
Built for the People Others Turn to When Conflict Arises
When Conflict Lands on Your Desk is designed for people who are regularly asked to advise, intervene in or resolve workplace conflict—including:
Executives and senior leaders
Managers and supervisors
HR, People and Culture professionals
Employee Relations professionals
Team and project leaders
Learning and Organizational Development professionals
It is especially relevant for organizations where managers and HR professionals are repeatedly pulled into interpersonal disputes, employees communicate through third parties or leaders need greater clarity about when to coach, when to facilitate and when to intervene directly.
⬤ PROGRAM FORMATS
Designed to Fit Your Event
When Conflict Lands on Your Desk can be adapted to your audience, event objectives and available time while preserving the keynote’s central message and experience.
Before the event, Irvine works with your planning team to understand who typically receives workplace-conflict concerns, the situations they are navigating and what you want participants to take away.
Available formats:
45–60-minute keynote
60–75-minute expanded keynote
Keynote with an accompanying breakout session
Leadership-team or conference breakout
Selected virtual presentations
⬤ SPEAKER REEL
Watch Irvine on Stage
See how Dr. Irvine Nugent uses compelling stories, thoughtful humor and practical insight to engage audiences and make workplace conflict feel recognizable, human and easier to navigate.
“The session led by Irvine was one of the highlights of our event. I left feeling more confident in handling workplace conflicts.”
BRING IRVINE TO YOUR EVENT
Help Your Leaders Support Without Taking Over
If your managers, HR professionals or senior leaders are repeatedly pulled into other people’s conflicts, When Conflict Lands on Your Desk will help them provide constructive support while keeping responsibility with the people involved.
Let’s talk about your audience, your event and how this keynote could help the people everyone turns to when conflict arises.